Hair-Breadth Escapes: The Adventures of Three Boys in South Africa

by H. C. Adams

  CHAPTER TWELVE.

  THE FLIGHT--THE BOYS RECAPTURED--A COUNCIL--THE SHADOW OF DEATH--ASTRANGE DELIVERANCE.

  "Not bad that," said Nick, as he threw himself on the ground, pantingand footsore, after a run of more than an hour. "We've not gone lessthan eight miles, I'll take my 'davy, and this gun isn't the lightestthing in the world to carry! Well, Charles, do you mean to make a haltof it here to-night, or are we to hoof it again?"

  "We must rest here," said Lavie, "an hour or two to recover ourselves alittle, but no longer. I don't suppose the Hottentots have done muchmore than discover our absence yet. They have had plenty to do for thepresent without thinking where we are, and then they will have to makeout in which direction we have gone. They will find that out, no doubt,notwithstanding all our precautions, but it will take them some time.And my hope is, that we shall now baffle them altogether."

  "How do you mean?" asked Ernest.

  "I mean that we should all take off our shoes, and step into the brookhere. We can walk along it, treading only on the stones till we reachthat long patch of scrub there. Then I propose that we shall turneastward, and go for a day's journey in that direction before againtravelling south. I think that will throw these Hottentots completelyout, and they will give up the pursuit."

  "Well, I have no objection," said Nick, "and I don't suppose the othershave. Anything to get out of the hands of those dingy brutes. How soldthey will be! If they could only get hold of one of us, how they wouldpay it off on him!"

  "I am afraid they will pay it off on my poor Lion," said Frank."Whatever will become of him, poor fellow!"

  "Oh, they'll use him kindly enough," said Lavie, soothingly. "He is toovaluable and useful an animal for them to hurt. As soon as we get toCape Town we'll send a fellow to ransom him. A dozen large beads orbrass buttons will soon induce them to give him up."

  "Well, at all events we'll hope so," said Warley. "Well, now, Charles,I am rested if the others are--enough, that is, to go on."

  "All right," said the doctor. "Now, the first thing is to take off ourshoes and stockings."

  This was soon done, and the party stepping down into the bed of therivulet, walked in Indian file one after another, taking particular careto leave no footprints in the soft earth. Presently they came to aplace where the short scrub, with which the slopes were covered,descended to the water's edge. They stepped out upon this, andproceeded eastward for a considerable distance, taking the greatestpains to leave no trace behind. After half a mile or so of thiscautious walking, Lavie considered the danger to be at an end. Againresuming the sharp trot at which they had previously proceeded, inanother hour they reached some caves in a high range of limestonecliffs, where they resolved to rest for the night. They were too muchwearied to keep watch. In five minutes all four were sound asleep.

  The next morning they awoke tolerably refreshed, and resuming theirjourney, proceeded still eastward for some seven or eight miles, whenthey halted for their mid-day rest. There was no lack of food, for soonafter setting out, they had come upon a grove of bananas, of which eachof the party had gathered a large bunch. They could also perceive asmall streamlet making its way through the brushwood. Doubtless itissued from a mass of limestone rock about a hundred yards distant. "Wehad better go and drink there," said Lavie. "We have no drinking-cupnow, remember, and must use the hollows of our hands, I suppose, or alarge leaf. But we shall manage it more easily at the spring head."

  He moved off and the others followed, but they were still some yardsfrom the fountain, when they were startled by a low deep growl, whichcame apparently from the other side of the rock.

  The boys instantly unslung their rifles. "That's the growl of a lion,"said Lavie. "He is couching by the spring, I expect. It won't do toapproach him from the front."

  "Hadn't one of us better go round to the clump of trees yonder?" saidFrank. "We can get there under cover, and there will be a good sight ofhim from thence."

  "I was just going to suggest it," said Lavie. "And another can climb tothe top of the cliff here. It seems quite perpendicular by the spring,and if so it will be fifteen or twenty feet over the lion's head. I'llundertake that, if you like, and Frank can cross over to the clump. Theother two had better mount this tree. If the brute springs out,there'll be a chance of a good shot at him from this place."

  Lavie and Frank accordingly proceeded to put their designs intoexecution. Ernest and Nick watched them, until Wilmore was hidden inthe wood, and Lavie half up the rock, when suddenly there came a shoutof alarm and surprise. At the same moment their weapons were torn fromtheir grasp, and they found themselves in the clutches of Omatoko andhalf a dozen others.

  They were unable to make any resistance; the suddenness of the surprise,and the overwhelming numbers of the Hottentots rendering it impossible.They were soon bound with leather thongs, and hurried off to thefountain, where they encountered Lavie and Frank in the same plight asthemselves.

  "How like lion?" asked Omatoko, jeeringly. "Omatoko lion. He roarwell. White boys go catch lion, get caught themselves!"

  "I wish I had known it was you," muttered Nick. "I'd have put a leadenbullet through your carcass as sure as my name's Gilbert! Well,blackie, what next? Are you going to skin and eat us, now you've gotus, or what?"

  "White boy go back Umboo," said the Hottentot. "Umboo do as he please."

  "And what pleases him won't please us, I guess," muttered Gilbert."Well, there's no help for it. We must grin and bear it, as the sayingis. You may as well untie these thongs, any way. You may see foryourself that we can't possibly escape."

  "Omatoko no untie till get back to kraal--then untie quick."

  He chuckled as he spoke. There was some sinister meaning in his words,which the prisoners could not fathom, but which it was not pleasant tohear. But they had little time for reflection. The thongs had nosooner been securely fastened, and the guns distributed among theleaders of the Hottentots, than they set out on their way home. Itappeared that the Englishmen must have followed a very circuitous path,for less than four hours' journey brought them to the spot where theencounter with the Bushmen had taken place; and there the party restedfor a couple of hours before proceeding further.

  It was a horrid and revolting spectacle which met the eyes of thecaptives as the halt was made. The bodies of the Bushmen, as well asthose of their women and children, were scattered about in alldirections, the corpses having already begun to decompose in thescorching sun. Most of the men had been shot down by arrows from adistance, or pierced by assegais. But the weaker portion of the enemy(if they could be so called), had been killed by blows from clubs, orstabs delivered at close quarters; and the lads gazed with sickeningdisgust at the helpless and mangled figures, with which the plain for along way round was overspread. But the slayers did not appear to feelthe smallest compunction, and Lavie gathered from their conversation,that a considerable proportion of the men had effected their escape--acircumstance which had greatly provoked Umboo's anger.

  Travelling early and late, the kraal was reached about nightfall on thefollowing day; when the prisoners were consigned to the custody ofOmatoko and Leshoo; who took effectual measures to prevent their escape.Their arms and legs were secured by thongs, and a belt was passed roundthe waist of each, to which was attached a chain riveted to a strongpost Omatoko could not be induced to answer any questions, not even theeager inquiries made after Lion. But Toboo, who was of a gentlerdisposition than his uncle, told them that the dog had greatly improvedduring the two or three days of their absence, and could now walk abouttolerably well.

  On the following morning a debate was held in the chief's apartment, towhich Lavie and the boys were, of course, not admitted; but thesubstance of which they learned afterwards. There was a considerabledifference of opinion among the counsellors. Kalambo and some otherswere for requiring the white men to take an oath that they would make noattempt to recover their property, or punish those who had deprived
themof it; and then to let them depart. Others, Omatoko among them, werefor keeping them in close custody, until their friends at the Capeagreed to ransom them for a quantity of valuable goods, which were to bespecified; while one or two were for allowing them to go altogetherfree, and take their guns with them; urging that the goodwill of theEnglish was of more value to them than any number of guns.

  This last argument was especially urged by Maroro, an old warrior, heldin much esteem in the village; and his opinion might have prevailed withUmboo, if it had not been for Leshoo. The latter craftily urged thatthe white men would never forgive the injury already done them; andthough they might take the oath proposed, they would disregard it, assoon as they were in safety. There was nothing to be hoped, he said,from the favour of the English, and nothing to be feared from theirenmity. Even if they were again to become the owners of the CapeColony, they would know nothing about these English travellers. As forransom, they would never get anything better, they might rest assured,than the four guns, the watches, and clothes of the prisoners, whichmight be regarded as already their own, and which they must be foolsindeed to give up.

  His speech was well calculated to work on the pride and the avarice ofUmboo, as well as on the fears of the others. It was resolved, by alarge majority, that the strangers should not be set at liberty, eitherwith, or without, conditions; but the danger that might arise from themshould be averted by their immediate death. This point having beendisposed of, the manner of their execution was the next considered, andLeshoo's counsel was again adopted. He proposed that the white man'spresumption, in entering on a contest of skill with the chief, should beproperly punished by each one of them affording, in their severalpersons, an evidence of the chiefs unrivalled skill in the use of arms.One of the four, he suggested, should be shot to death by an arrow, asecond brained by a club, a third pierced by an assegai, while thefourth--the white medicine-man himself--should die by his own weapon;Umboo, in every instance, being the executioner.

  The suggestion was too nattering to the chief's vanity, and too welladapted to efface the mortification of his recent defeat, to berejected. All concurred in it; and it was resolved that it should becarried out that very day. The posts had not yet been removed from theplaces where they had been fixed on the day of the trial of skill, andit was agreed that no fitter scene could be chosen for the execution.Omatoko, accompanied by Leshoo, was sent to announce to the prisonerstheir approaching doom--an office which the latter, at least, undertook_con amore_.

  It was a terrible shock, even to Lavie, whose forebodings had been ofthe darkest ever since their capture. But he had not anticipatedanything so barbarous, or so sudden. The tidings were communicated tohim in Dutch by Omatoko, and it was his office to break it to hisyounger friends.

  "Lads," he said, after a few moments of inward prayer for support andcounsel; "lads, I have something very grave and trying to announce toyou. We have all known that our peril, ever since we left the_Hooghly_, has been imminent, and that we might be called upon at anymoment to yield up our lives--"

  "And we are called upon to yield them now, Charles?" said Ernest, as thedoctor paused. "That is what you want to tell us, is it not?"

  "I am sorry to say it is, Ernest. The Hottentots have resolved onputting us all four to death this morning--in an hour from the presenttime--"

  "Oh, not in an hour, surely," broke in Gilbert; "they will give us moretime than that. They cannot do it."

  "They are heathens, Nick, and have never been taught better. We oughtto forgive them on that account, even if our religion did not teach usto forgive all who wrong us."

  "But can nothing be done?" urged Frank passionately. "Will they notlisten to our assurances that we are not their enemies; that we meanthem no harm; that we will ransom our lives by giving them a dozenrifles, if they want them; that our friends will avenge our deaths;that--oh! there's a hundred things that might be urged." He thrustaside Lion's head, which was resting caressingly on his knee. "Oh,Charles I let us at least try."

  "I would, Frank, if it would be of the least use. But I learn fromOmatoko, that the matter was most carefully considered, and everythingwe could urge has already been advanced and rejected. It would butwaste the time still left us for preparation, and that is short enough.Let us pray for strength and resignation; that is all now left us todo."

  All complied, and knelt on the floor of the hut, while Lion sat silentand motionless at their side, gazing from face to face with a wistfullook, as though he would fain comprehend what was amiss. Then Warley,to whom all seemed instinctively to look, offered up a simple, butfervent petition, that God would be pleased to succour them, if He sawfit, in their present strait; but if it was His pleasure to take themfrom the world, He would pardon the sins of their past lives, strengthenthem to meet their doom bravely, and receive them to Himself. Heconcluded with the Lord's Prayer, in which they all joined fervently,and then relapsed into silence; which was not broken until Leshooreturned to warn them that all was in readiness.

  "You, boy," he said, turning to Frank, "you die first. Umboo shoot youthrough the heart with arrow. Then you he kill with club," addressingWarley. "You he throw assegai at," nodding to Nick. "Medicine-man, hecome last. Umboo shoot him dead with own gun! Medicine-man never shootbetter himself. Come now; chief ready."

  The prisoners obeyed in silence. A sharper thrill shot through Frank'sbosom as he heard he was to be the first to suffer, but the next instantit was succeeded by a feeling of thankfulness that he would not witnessthe murder of his friends.

  "Good-bye, dear old Lion," he said, stooping over the dog, and strokingthe smooth head which looked up with such sad wonder into his face; "Ihope they'll treat you kindly. Charles," he added, "let us say good-byeto one another here. I shouldn't like to do it before all thesefellows."

  "Good-bye, Frank," said Lavie, throwing his arms round the lad's neck,and kissing him on the forehead. "Good-bye, and God bless you. We willpray for each other to the last."

  "I will follow you now," said Wilmore, when he had taken leave in likefashion of the other two. "The sooner this is over the better."

  He passed out of the hut with a firm step, looking without flinching onthe cruel preparations without. Whatever sinkings of heart he mighthave felt when his doom was first made known to him, they had allvanished now. He was a noble English boy, reared in all manly ways, andinstructed by a thousand brave examples. His life, if not faultless,had been pure; his conscience void of any deep offence; and for the resthe trusted in the God who had bade him trust in Him. The same heroismwhich the striplings of our race showed on the deck of the _Birkenhead_,and in the wild scenes of the Indian mutiny, which upbore young Herbert,the high-born and gently nurtured, in his dread ordeal among the Greekbrigands, was now burning in Frank's bosom. Let them do what they wouldto him, he would endure it without flinching.

  Lavie and the other two lads followed closely after him, and were placedby Omatoko on the right hand of the post, to which Wilmore was about tobe fastened, at a distance of some twelve feet from it. "Do not let ussee his death," said Gilbert in a low tone; "it will be too dreadful!"

  "No," said Lavie, "it will do none of us good, though I know he willmeet it bravely. We will kneel down here, and pray in silence till eachin his turn is summoned."

  He knelt as he spoke, and the others followed his example.

  "It is not good," exclaimed old Maroro, as he noticed the action. "Thewhite man is praying to the white man's God. He will be angry with us,for the white man has done no wrong."

  He spoke loud enough to be heard even by the chief, who cast a wrathfullook at him in reply. If his reputation for wisdom and goodness had notstood so high with his countrymen, his boldness might have entailedserious consequences upon him. As it was, he was listened to in angryand impatient silence.

  Frank had now been led to his station, and Omatoko and Leshoo werebusied in binding him. Three cinctures were passed round him, onesecuring the
neck, a second the waist, and the third the legs, to thestrong upright post. They had just completed their task, and were aboutto retire--Umboo had already fitted the arrow to the string, and was onthe point of bending it--when a loud cry of mingled surprise and alarmwas raised by the spectators nearest to the prisoner, and was presentlyechoed by nearly all present Lavie and the two boys started up, lookinghurriedly round them, half expecting to see a band of armed Englishmen,who had come up at that critical moment to their rescue. But the eyesof the Hottentots were not turned in the direction they had expected,but into the air a few feet above them. A small beetle, of the size,perhaps, of a child's little finger, was hovering over their heads, itsgreen back and speckled belly glittering bright in the beams of the sun.All present held their breath, and watched its motions with anxiety andawe. It gyrated awhile immediately above the post, as though seekingfor some spot on which to settle. Suddenly it folded its wings, and,shooting downwards, alighted on Frank Wilmore's head. There was asecond and still louder cry, rising, in the instance of the women, intoa shriek of terror at this spectacle. "The god! the god!" they cried."The white boy is the favourite of the god. He has come to save him.Cut the thongs, set him free! Pray him to forgive us, or we shall alldie. He will send drought and murrain! He will kill our flocks andherds! He will strike us dead with his lightnings! Not one willescape!"

  A dozen Hottentots rushed up with their knives, and severed the bondswhich held the prisoner. Then lifting him on to their shoulders theybore him in triumph through the village, the women singing and dancinground him, until the hut of the chief was reached. There Frank wasplaced by his supporters in the seat of honour, while all presentprostrated themselves at his feet, entreating mercy.

  The lad was at first too much startled and bewildered to understand whathad happened. He had closed his eyes, expecting every moment to feelthe fatal point, and even when he heard the shouts of the bystanders,believed it had been raised only because the arrow was on its way. ButLavie, who knew enough of Hottentot superstitions to understand what hadoccurred, hurried up to him, and informing him in a few words what wasthe true explanation of this extraordinary change, desired him to takethe beetle from his forehead, where it was still resting, and retain itin his grasp, but to be extremely careful not to hurt it.

  "It is the mantes, Frank," he said, "about which I was telling Ernestthe other day. They believe that it is a god, that it will do them themost terrible injuries if they offend it, and whomsoever they imagine tobe its favourite, he may issue any commands he pleases, and is sure tobe obeyed. Of course this wonderful deliverance is of God's sending,and we will thank Him heartily for it; but at present you must go withthem and take the mantes with you."

  "What shall I have to do, Charles?" said Frank, who, betweenastonishment and joy, could hardly even now understand what was passing."What are they going to do with me?"

  "They'll want to make you chief very likely; perhaps offer sacrifices inyour honour, and all sorts of extravagances of that kind. Of course youwill refuse to allow any impiety of that description, and will declineto be made chief; but you had better demand that all our property shouldbe at once restored to us, and that we should be suffered to departwithout molestation."

  "How am I to make them understand?"

  "Omatoko will make them understand you well enough. He is as muchfrightened as the rest. You can also, if you like it, require that aguide be sent with us for the first part of the journey. You may bequite sure, that whatever you ask they will agree to."

  "Won't you stay with me?"

  "I think I had better not. Their feeling of awe and reverence ispersonal to yourself. They don't regard us as favourites of the god;and but for your protection of us, would be ready to put us to deaththis minute. We are going back to our hut. I need not tell you tooffer up our thanks for this great mercy. We will wait there till youjoin us."

  "Well, Charles, I will do as you advise. But I wish this was over. Ican hardly realise to myself what has happened. It is all like a dream!I only feel as if I could think of nothing till I had joined with youin your thanksgiving for this wonderful deliverance."